How do you bike those really steep hills? (Page 2)

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2012-06-25 9:15 PM
in reply to: #4279949

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Subject: RE: How do you bike those really steep hills?

brigby1 - 2012-06-25 6:44 PM This is the profile of Saturday's ride. A mix of sitting and standing going up these. I anticipate when cadence may get too low and stand up before that happens. This helps to keep rhythm and momentum going. Do not wait until it gets to low, stay on top of things. I would also stand for bits on some of the longer ones to change it up a bit. I can sit or stand for awhile when cadence is in a decent level, but sitting is more efficient, so I do that more often.

Where in Illinois did you find these hills?

2012-06-26 7:13 AM
in reply to: #4280161

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Subject: RE: How do you bike those really steep hills?
croixfan - 2012-06-25 9:15 PM

brigby1 - 2012-06-25 6:44 PM This is the profile of Saturday's ride. A mix of sitting and standing going up these. I anticipate when cadence may get too low and stand up before that happens. This helps to keep rhythm and momentum going. Do not wait until it gets to low, stay on top of things. I would also stand for bits on some of the longer ones to change it up a bit. I can sit or stand for awhile when cadence is in a decent level, but sitting is more efficient, so I do that more often.

Where in Illinois did you find these hills?

That's what Wisconsin is for!

This is the profile of the Kickapoo Kicker 150k.  It has some gravel sections on it right now because of some road construction going on, but it was fine with some hardy tires on. Just have to keep your head up and slow down for it.

There are some others not quite as far up. Dairlyland Dare is part of that series (Wisconsin Triple Crown) and is just West of Madison. Haven't ridden it yet, but will soon. Horribly Hilly Hundreds is right between the DD and the IMWI bike course. It shares the East most and West most edges with them.

These are all excellent rides for lots of hills work, but know that they are challenging. Make sure your cadence will be ok at 5mph or so. I dropped under 6 at times and was passing everybody even then.

2012-06-26 7:55 AM
in reply to: #4278428

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Subject: RE: How do you bike those really steep hills?
Is there any way to translate these "evelation gains" to % slope?

I found the gains taken over a longer distance tolerable, its the .25 or .3 miles at 15% grade, where most of the riders are out of the saddle and some have decided to walk up, to be the sections where I am considering a re-think of my strategy.

On the one hand, yes its cool to go all out, get out of the saddle if necessary, and leave it all on the course. At the top of the hill I am panting like a puppy dog, my HR is way into my anaerobic zone, and my legs are burning.

But on the other hand an experienced rider will argue "if this is not how you are intending to race, why train that way?...keep your fanny in the saddle, keep the cadence, don't down shift too late after you've lost momentum, and make sure you can work hard the whole course, not just the one steep hill..."

So instead of just buring out, am thinking more repeats when I come to hills that steep, but fanny in saddle.

(But like someone suggested, maybe there are some hills where it is impossible to stay seated?)
2012-06-26 11:34 AM
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Subject: RE: How do you bike those really steep hills?

Well, it's not a one-size-fits-all answer. Train more like how you plan to race, as in seated with sustained effort, but do go ahead and hammer it on the hills at times like you described. There could be times in the race you need the bursts. A perfectly flat power profile is not necessarily going to be the best one to get you through the course even when the race is more of a TT type.

Know what you want to get out of the ride or training session.

2012-06-26 3:45 PM
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Subject: RE: How do you bike those really steep hills?
I figure bikes were designed to be rode in a seated position. I climb hills spinning a low gear whenever possible. Only if it's very steep do I get out of the saddle. I pass people on hills all the time that are up out of the saddle mashing, and I whiz by them pedaling at 90-120 rpm while they're mashing out 50 rpm. But, there some hills that you just have no choice but to stand up and start mashing.
2012-06-27 6:54 AM
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Subject: RE: How do you bike those really steep hills?
In training, I stay in as big a gear as possible and mash a little, standing up. The change in muscle groups provides some relief. In a race, I'll gear down more but still do a little standing up for the same reason. My goal is to carry as much speed as possible over the top of the hills.


2012-06-27 2:12 PM
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Subject: RE: How do you bike those really steep hills?

You mean something like this?  With me I just grit my teeth and sit on the saddle.  Hill repeats.  4800 feet in 24 miles.  10 of those miles are warm ups and warm downs. I've never gone faster than 4mph on that hill.   Made me much much stronger on the bike

2012-06-27 2:44 PM
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Subject: RE: How do you bike those really steep hills?

I've heard two stories:

-Once you're up out of the saddle, stay up for the remainder of the climb

-Alternate sitting and standing on climbs according to cadence and fatigue

Anyone care to weigh in on these two schools of thought?

2012-06-27 6:40 PM
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Subject: RE: How do you bike those really steep hills?
TriRx - 2012-06-27 2:44 PM

I've heard two stories:

-Once you're up out of the saddle, stay up for the remainder of the climb

-Alternate sitting and standing on climbs according to cadence and fatigue

Anyone care to weigh in on these two schools of thought?

#2, I have no idea why one would put such a restriction like #1 on there. Do what you need to get over the hill.

2012-06-28 8:08 AM
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Subject: RE: How do you bike those really steep hills?
You will only get faster in the hills by riding hills... Also, increase you W/kg by either lose weight (which for most of us is fairly doable) or increase W (which means more time in saddle and then start adding intervals and hill repeats).

The "sitting vs. standing" really depends on a few different factors... The rider... some people are just very efficient standing up other sitting down. Look at Contador (standing most of the climbs) vs. Andy Schleck (sitting most of the climbs)... both are pretty good climbers and about equal, yet very different in technique.

It also depends on how steep it is and how long of a climb it is. If you have a 15% grade for 100 feet, then you may be more explosive standing up and power up the climb. If it's 15% for 500 ft., then maybe you can't sustain that power and need to sit down. If it's 15% over 1 mile, then maybe you need to combine the two.

Personally, I'm a fairly explosive rider, so if the hills is short but steep, I will stand and power up. If the hill is longer, then I combine the two... Sit until I start losing momentum, stand up to build momentum and so on... You will exert more energy standing up though... you're now using your core to support and stabilize your body, whereas sitting, well, you're also using your seat...
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